6A
Wylie East Raiders 2026 Season Preview
Wylie East Raiders
Head Coach: Marcus Gold (6th season; 32-14 record)
Last Season: 10-1; 8-0 in district (Lost to Rockwall-Heath in bi-district)
Returning Lettermen: 20 (7 returning starters on offense; 3 on defense)
Wylie East Key Players and Storylines
Wylie East had the highest of highs and lowest of lows in 2025. On the bright side, they rattled off the first undefeated regular season in program history. However, they couldn’t carry that momentum into the postseason as they fell to Rockwall-Heath in the bi-district round.
The Raiders will have a new starting quarterback this season, but they should be able to ground and pound as they please. Running back Jonathan Utubor (860 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns) is a bruising power back at 5’11” and 200 pounds while 5’9”, 185-pound Victor Ekpo (625 rushing yards and six touchdowns) serves as the speed option. Up front, three-year starter center Brayden Parrish will lead the offensive line. When they do go to the passing attack, 6’3” receiver Amir Porter (500 receiving yards and six touchdowns) will be a big target with great hands for his new signal-caller.
6’0 205 lbs | 6’6 ws | 9 in hands
Sophomore NCOTY | First team all district Rb
1000+ yards 15 TD’s
PLAYMAKER ‼️‼️Hit me ‼️ available 24/7 | 469-596-4917@WERaiderFB @CoachPickOC @CoachWilson_ @CoachMorris__ @Antonio_Wilc @CoachAT23 @CoachTimYoder pic.twitter.com/F6ldNbExKZ
— Jonathan Utubor (@JonathanUtubor) June 15, 2026
Defensively, the Raiders will need some players to grow up quickly with just three returning starters on that side of the ball. Cornerback Charles Perry (32 tackles, three INTs) will be their top player in man-to-man coverage. He’s joined in the secondary by playmaking safety Kyle Jarvis, Wylie East’s leading returning tackler (60 tackles).
With four-straight top two district finishes, Gold feels confident a standard of excellence has been established. He believes if this group can follow the work ethic of previous teams, they’ll have a shot to be just as successful this fall.
2026 Schedule
*-Denotes District 9-6A contest
8/28 vs. Richardson 7:00
9/4 @ Texas High 7:00
9/11 vs. Royse City 7:00
*9/17 @ North Garland 7:00
*9/25 vs. Garland 7:00
*10/9 @ Wylie 7:00
*10/15 vs. Rowlett 5:30
*10/23 @ South Garland 7:00
*10/29 vs. Sachse 7:00
*11/05 @ Lakeview Centennial 4:00



